the power of words

I am currently reading Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa, a memoir of her life on a farm in Kenya during the first part of the 20th century.  Having been born in Denmark, Ms. Dinesen (also known as Karen Blixen), lived her life among the natives of the African plains, including Somalians, Kenyans, and those from the Masai tribes.  During my reading of the text, I have noticed that there is very little story, at least one that continues throughout with a plot and main characters.  There is no mystery to solve...there is no romance that is blossoming...there is no destination to be reached...and there is no hero facing life or death.  And yet, I find the book difficult to put down and stop reading for any amount of time.  As I thought about why that might be, I realized I am enthralled by the words that she uses and the phrases that evolve from those words.  Her writing is beautiful and causes me to smile as I picture the people, the animals, and the landscapes of Central Africa.  I am amazed how one can so easily capture the essence of their surroundings with just the right words.

So why does this have me thinking about leadership?  Here are a few thoughts for this Friday morning:

• words convey meaning: whether one speaks or writes, the words they use can mean different things to different people.  Choosing just the right words helps the leader translate what she is thinking to her audience.
• words create pictures: leaders live for vision, and helping others grasp that vision often occurs through words (again, spoken or written).  The more descriptive the words or phrases used, the better the leader can create a picture of the future.
• stories are comprised of words: one of the most powerful tools a leader can use is stories - stories about people, stories about successes and failures, and stories about the future.  Holding people's attention while telling a story is often the result of the right words being used at just the right time.
• words challenge people: organizations get better when its people grow, and that growth often happens as a result of challenges put before them.  Whether it is presenting a more challenging vocabulary, a new understanding of a familiar concept, or an increased use of more descriptive language, words can help others get better at how they think and what they do.
• words help leaders dream: one of the roles that the leader plays is to be the visionary for the organization and to help others picture what they might not yet be able to see.  Engaging with beautiful and complex words and language provides new tools for leaders to dream and vision themselves.

So where might leaders find these types of words, phrases, paragraphs and texts that will challenge them and help provide new ways of thinking and seeing the world?  Here are a few suggestions:

• poetry - if poetry is new to you, find an anthology that makes sense for you and read 1-2 poems a day.  Take your time and just enjoy the words being used.
• drama - reading Shakespeare and the other great playwrights of the world might be difficult at first, but don't be afraid of the language - it can take one to places they never knew existed.
• classical texts - reading The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, The Aeneid, and other classical texts from thousands of years ago will provide rich language and new insights into leadership.  Be sure to choose a good translation!
• philosophy - there are a handful of standard works that all leaders should read at some time in their lives.  While difficult to understand, the adventure of new language and complex ideas is a journey worth taking.
• modern and post-modern novels: while these may be the most difficult to understand, they provide a language and way of writing that will stretch the leader to think  in new and exciting ways.  Kafka, Joyce, Marquez, and Calvino are just a few of the writers who, if given their due, will open a whole new world to the reader.